Dually thermoresponsive poly(sulfobetaine methacylate)-graft-(poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)-co-poly(di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) were synthesized via single electron transfer living radical polymerization (SET-LRP). Two different such graft copolymers S70-g-P25D25 and S70-g-P70D280 with different side chain lengths were prepared and studied. These polymers showed 'schezophrenic' self-assembly behavior in response to temperature and ionic strength in aqeuous solution in water. S70-g-P25D25 formed nanostructures at temperatures both above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and below the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) with inversed core-shell nature in aqueous solution. Under saline condition no nano structure could be observed at temperatures below the UCST. For S70-g-P70D280, LCST type self-assembly was observed with the formation of similar nanostructures, but at temperatures below UCST, instead of intermolecular aggregation, unimolecular self-assembly was obsverved due to the much more crowded side chains.
